Guardian Angel
by DarylDixon'sLover
Summary: Summary: Beth has lost everything. She didn't want to carry on anymore. But Daryl was determined to keep her alive. By any means necessary. Daryl/Beth, AU after Too Far Gone, rated M.
1. No Longer Innocent

Summary: Beth had lost everything. She didn't want to carry on anymore. But Daryl was determined to keep her alive. By any means necessary. Daryl/Beth, AU after Too Far Gone, rated M. Co – Written with SandyBell74

Disclaimer: We do not own The Walking Dead but I do own the plot.

Guardian Angel

Chapter 1

* * *

Beth Greene opened her eyes in the dark.

At first she didn't remember anything.

But then she felt it again. The pain. Daddy was gone now, really gone. His gentle eyes. His warm hands.

Beth curled up in a fetal position and felt the tears in her eyes.

She hadn't lost just her father. Her big sister, Maggie, was missing too. But Beth was sure that she was alive, Maggie had always been so strong, so capable.

Unlike Beth herself.

She sobbed.

She had lost the baby too. Little Judith. She was so little, so fragile. The past months she had been like Beth's own baby. She had taken care of her. She had sung her lullabies. But no more.

Everything on the prison yard was so horrible, so chaotic - people running and screaming, watchtower in flames, explosions and firing, walkers everywhere and little Judith missing. That much she could remember. But after that all blurred in her mind. She didn't see where everybody went; she didn't see what happened to everyone.

Somehow she remembered running with Daryl too, away, away from the prison, deep in the woods.

When Beth and Daryl finally stopped running, they both realized that they were alone, just two of them. No one else from the group was around. Everybody had scattered around, they didn't know where.

And by that time it was evening already. They couldn't start looking for the others in the dark, it was just too dangerous. Fortunately Daryl found this cabin in the woods. It was small and tatty, but it was some kind of shelter against the dark, against the walkers. So they decided to spend the night here.

Daryl was up most of the night, listening and watching.

But Beth lay on this bed, under the smelly blanket. She stared at the dark horrified.

When she finally fell asleep, she had terrible nightmares - daddy dying again and again in front of her eyes, walkers eating little Judith alive.

She woke up for her own scream.

Daryl was there for her through the night. She could remember his calming voice, his strong arms hugging her like she was a frightened child.

"Shh, it's okay." The hunter whispered to her again and again even though they both knew that nothing was ok. Not anymore, not really.

It was almost sunrise when Beth finally managed to sleep without nightmares.

But now she was awake and alone. It was still dark in here, because the windows were covered against the walkers.

Beth tried to imagine the pain away.

"I'm a stone. Silent and cold. I don't feel anything." She said to herself and tried to be like that.

But she failed. The pain was still there, it took her like a wave. She cried a bit.

Suddenly she realized something - where was Daryl now?

Maybe the hunter had left her because she was so weak, so fragile. A burden to him, really, Beth concluded.

_'No wonder Daryl dumped me,'_ Beth thought.

Unlike her, the hunter was able to take care of himself.

'_I don't want the walkers to get me. I'll end this myself, once and for all.' _Beth thought darkly.

She got up from the bed slowly.

Because now she remembered the lake, it was near the cabin, it was easy to find.

It was a way to end the pain for good.

There was a heavy breeze n the air, meaning a storm was coming and Beth shivered slightly, she was only wearing a white tank top, her jeans and black cowboy boots.

Not very weather warm.

She hugged herself tightly as she watched the trees move about in the wind and continued her walk to the lake.

The water looked clean and oddly beautiful.

She took a deep breath and stepped in.

Beth shivered violently but let the cold take over her and closed her eyes before sinking into the darkness of unconscious.

* * *

Daryl had been out in the woods all day, seeing if there were any walkers around, he had only found three walkers and had stabbed them with his knife.

He sighed as he carried four squirrels back to the cabin when he saw a dark shape on the surface of the lake.

Blonde hair shone in the sunlight and her face was white as a ghost, she looked dead.

"NO!" He yelled and ran over to her.

He tossed the dead squirrels on the grass before diving into the water, fuck, and the water was fucking freezing.

He gently pulled Beth out of the water and gently placed her on the soft grass, her eyes were closed and her long blonde hair was wet and so were her clothes.

He quickly checked for a pulse, it was faint but still a pulse.

He started to do chest compressions on her.

"Come on Beth, don't ya die on me too." He muttered as he pressed again and she started to choke out some water.

She choked out some more before passing out.

Beth's beautiful face was white as a marble now. She was still alive, but barely. She was unconscious.

Daryl knew that he had to get them both warm quickly or they could end up with pneumonia.

The hunter carried Beth back into cabin. The young woman in his arms was so ethereal, so frail. He didn't want to lose her too.

Daryl was worried about the dark woods around them; he knew that there were walkers all around. There was a fireplace in the cabin but making fire now seemed kind of risky. Also there was not firewood, and Daryl had no time to look for it now, he had to help Beth.

The only good thing was the fact that he had fresh water and food for them now - the squirrels and some canned food he had managed to find from the cupboards of the cabin last night, before Beth had her nightmare.

He then found some newspapers and used them to light up a small fire to dry their wet clothes, he hung them up on a wash line before going back to Beth.

But first things first.

Very carefully Daryl removed her boots and poured the water out of them. Then he hesitated. He would have to remove her clothes - the jeans and the top - too, they were soaking wet now.

He opened the buttons of her jeans and pulled them off her. It wasn't easy since her skin was so wet and the jeans were so tight.

Next Daryl had to remove her top as well. Now Beth had just her underwear - pink panties and matching bra, on. Daryl swallowed. It all had to go, that was the only way to get her warm enough.

Soon Beth was naked in front of him. Her body was pale, narrow and very beautiful, but still cold as ice. There were two blankets on the bed, but she needed more warmth.

Daryl made a decision and undressed himself quickly. After the freezing water he needed the warmth too. He took off his vest with angel wings, his ragged jeans, his boots, his t-shirt and boxers.

After that he lifted the blanket and eased himself on the bed. He pressed himself carefully on Beth's backside. They had to share their body heat now; it was the only way to get warm.

He wrapped the blankets tightly around them and rubbed Beth's body in order to get her blood pumping. She was still unconscious.

And Daryl was worried about her in other ways too. The previous night Beth seemed so defeated, so horrified. The hunter regretted the fact that he had left her alone in the cabin in the morning. He had no choice back then, they had no water or food, but he was sure that Beth didn't end up in the lake accidentally.

'_She tried to drown herself,'_ the hunter thought gloomily.

He wouldn't allow her to die. Not now, not after they had managed to escape the prison.

The hunter inhaled. Little by little he relaxed. They both warmed up bit by bit.

He had slept so little the previous night that he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.

Soon Daryl Dixon was dreaming.

* * *

_In his dream everything was peaceful and calm. The sun was shining; he was walking on the sunny meadow. Ahead of him walked a blonde woman in a long white dress._

_Daryl followed her, reached her, and hugged her from behind. The hunter knew that he wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to make love to her. Suddenly the woman in the dream turned around.  
_

_It was Beth._

Daryl startled, woke up, he was still holding Beth tightly and his body obviously liked it. A lot. He was painfully hard against her ass.

He moved away at once, ashamed.

And it was at that moment when Beth woke up too.

She turned to Daryl and smiled at him sleepily.

"I thought you left me." She whispered.

"Never." The hunter replied quietly.


	2. Haunted

Summary: Beth had lost everything. She didn't want to carry on anymore. But Daryl was determined to keep her alive. By any means necessary. Rated M. Co – Written with Sandybell74. Takes place after Too Far Gone.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead but I do own the plot.

Guardian Angel

Chapter 2

* * *

Daryl opened his eyes as he heard Beth whimper in her sleep, he gently shook her as she started to cry.

"Beth its ok, ya alright." He assured her gently.

Beth's eyes snapped open.

"I'm sorry." She said embarrassed.

"It's ok." Daryl said trying to ignore the sexual tension building between them, dear Jesus, he had never felt this hard.

He gently pulled away from her and went to check on the clothes, they were dry but they were going to have to go on a supply run soon for clothes.

"Here, the clothes are dry." Daryl said giving her the clothes.

Beth smiled at him and then froze when she saw the scars on his torso.

As if he sensed her eyes on him, he quickly pulled on his black wife beater and then his blue shirt and jeans before buckling them up with his belt.

Daryl then passed Beth her dry clothes as she got up and wrapped a sheet around herself before he saw her nipples harden through the thin, pale sheet.

Dear lord.

He swallowed and went to see what they could eat so Beth could dress in privacy, Beth watched him go silently.

She was attracted to him.

Beth shook her head in annoyance, what would Daryl see in her, she knew how to shoot and take out walkers but that was it and she was always being forced to do things she didn't want to do, like watching the kids constantly. She loved the kids but it wasn't fair how she would always look after them.

That annoyed her how Rick and Maggie would decide what jobs she should do.

She sighed and got dressed before pulling on her black cowboy boots and then pulled on her thin grey cardigan.

She then tied her hair up into a braid and waited for Daryl to come back.

* * *

Daryl had taken out three walkers with his crossbow before splashing his face with some water from the lake.

They needed to move on, they didn't have any supplies and they were out in the open.

He then thought about Beth's suicide attempt.

He needed to talk to her about that.

He shook his head and cursed Rick for being so damn friendly to the fucking Governor.

"I should have shot him, when I had the fuckingchance." Daryl said quietly and walked back to the cabin where Beth was waiting.

"Are we leaving?" She asked quietly, her blue eyes looking at him intently.

"Ain't safe here, take what we can and go back to the prison, get the bike and give yer daddy a proper burial." He told her quietly and she nodded before speaking in a cold, detached voice.

"It's Rick's fault, he should have killed the Governor when he had the chance, now my daddy's dead and Maggie and Glenn are probably dead too." She said before breaking down in tears in front of Daryl.

Daryl watched her cry for a minute before sitting down next to her on the bed and pulled her into his arms as she cried.

"I'll never forgive him." She vowed in a firm, harsh tone as she looked at Daryl with tear stained cheeks.

Daryl nodded and kissed her hair as he let a few tears of his own fall down his face as he mourned for Merle.

He missed him so much.

He gently thumbed Beth's tears away from her soft cheeks and helped her up to her feet, she got up rather shakily.

"I know it's hard, believe me I do know Beth, I lost Merle to that bastard and what Rick did was stupid. But I'm here and I'm gonna look after ya, just don't do what ya did yesterday, alright?" He asked softly and Beth nodded.

"I promise." She said wiping her eyes and he nodded at her as they grabbed the supplies they could before leaving the cabin.

It was slightly cold outside and as they walked back on the road to the prison, Beth wondered if her father's body was still there?

She then realised with a sinking feeling, that her father hadn't been put down after the Governor had decapitated him.

He would be a walker.

'_Keep strong Beth, you gotta be strong for Daryl.'_ Beth told herself as they walked to where their former was.

It was hell.

Half of the prison had been blown up by the Governor's tank and it was crawling with walkers, there were bodies everywhere.

Beth tried to keep calm as she looked around for her father's body with Daryl beside her as they looked for any of their group.

That was when Daryl saw a hand under the rubble and gently moved it away to see the face of Sasha.

* * *

Suddenly Beth saw him.

Hershel Greene or what was left of him - lay on the grass outside the fence.

Miraculously walkers hadn't eaten him yet, probably because there was so much food to them all over the place.

There was a large pond of dried blood around his head. Fortunately some merciful hand, probably Michonne's had punctured his skull at some point, so Beth didn't have to see him as a walker.

Beth ran to him, tears burning in her eyes.

She kneeled on the ground and stroked Hershel's grey hair gently.

"Oh, daddy." She whispered voice trembling.

Daryl decided to act quickly. He remembered leaving a shovel quite near and he managed to grab it before walkers noticed anything. Then he took a jacket from one of the bodies nearby and went to Beth, he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Look away, why don't ya", he pleaded.

Beth did so and Daryl picked Hershel's head up and wrapped it into a jacket. Then he handed it to Beth.

She took a bundle gently on her arms and carried a shovel too.

Daryl took old man's body from the ground.

"C'mon, we gotta split." He said carrying the body when a few walkers nearby started to turn to them.

Quite indifferently actually, since they had just eaten.

Beth didn't want to think about what was in their stomachs.

They went straight to the forest. After a while they found a good, peaceful spot, little, sunny opening in the woods.

Beth kept watch while Daryl dug. The ground was hard and they were still in danger, so he didn't go deep.

Finally it was time to put Hershel on the ground. They did so and put some heavy stones on his body too in order to protect him from walkers.

Daryl made a simple cross and Beth picked some wild flowers from near. After that she sang a sad Irish little song, one of his father's favourites. They both said a few words.

"Earth to earth, dust to dust, ya were a good man, Hershel Greene," said Daryl simply but his eyes were pained.

"I'll never forget you. I loved you, daddy." Beth whispered tears running down her cheeks.

It was a simple ceremony but it left them both speechless with grief.

It was kind of hard to understand. They both had seen so much death, too much, but somehow losing this gentle old man was almost too much.

Daryl remembered him on the farm. God, it seemed so long ago.

"Let's get back to the cabin for a while and figure out what to do next." He said to Beth.

Suddenly he realized that the she was no longer by his side.

"Beth?!" He called out looking around for her and walked as he tried to find her amongst the carnage of the prison and saw her.

She was looking a walker with blank, distant eyes.

* * *

Beth had never felt so helpless and broken as she did then, burying her father had destroyed her and she wanted to end the pain.

She then heard soft moans and looked up to see a practically emaciated walker; it had been a very beautiful woman who looked like she was going to get married.

Only it seemed walkers had ruined her.

She swallowed and closed her eyes.

She would be with her momma and her daddy.

She was just about to let it bite her when someone pushed her away from the walker and she opened her eyes to see Daryl stabbing it in the head brutally with his knife.

Blood was spraying everywhere and he looked furious as he glared at her with blazing, blue eyes that were like blue flames.

He stood and dragged her back to the cabin and kicked the door open, Beth silently went into the living room as Daryl shut the door.

"What the fuck were ya doin' back there, Beth?!" He yelled at her as he glared at her furiously.

"I'm tired of seeing everyone I care about dying, Daddy's gone, Judith's gone and so are Carol and Maggie. I can't do this anymore, Daryl, I'm not like you!" Beth screamed at him, her voice raw with pain.

"Yer daddy wouldn't want ya to give up, Beth, he'd want ya to fight, to stay strong." Daryl told her feeling angry at her for how she wanted out, didn't she realise that he cared about her too?

"Give me one good reason to live?" Beth asked defiantly as she looked at him with hard blue eyes that were like the sea.

"What about this?" Daryl asked her in a quiet voice and before she knew what was happening, Daryl had yanked her up and was kissing her passionately.


	3. Dark Secrets

Summary: Beth had lost everything. She didn't want to carry on anymore. But Daryl was determined to keep her alive. By any means necessary. Rated M. Takes place after Too Far Gone.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead but I do own the plot.

**Special Thanks To: Crowgirl13, Stojo, Verostar1221, theromanian and hopejames18, wytchbiker and Dead Dahlia. You guys rock xx. **

**So I have re edited chapter 3 and I hope people will back off now.**

Guardian Angel

Chapter 3

* * *

Beth's mind was in a whirl as Daryl kissed her and she kissed him back, she wanted to feel something other than sadness, death and pain.

He gently pushed her up against the wall and she slid her hands under his blue shirt, she wanted to feel his skin against hers.

Daryl let out a soft grunt as she stroked patterns along his stomach, she felt the soft sprinkle of his chest hair and the roughness of his scars marring his torso as they kissed and he slid his own hands up her shirt.

Suddenly Daryl froze, what the fuck was he doing, Beth was only fucking nineteen and here he was kissing her and touching her.

Shit.

"We gotta stop." He said quietly as he moved away from her and she looked at him in confusion.

"Why, Daryl?" Beth asked as she looked at him with flaming blue eyes that looked like blue smoke.

Daryl swallowed hard as he looked into her smoky dark blue that looked…..alive.

"Cause its wrong, I'm older than yer and I'm old enough to be yer daddy." He said when Beth stood up and glared at him.

"Don't give me that bullshit!" She screamed at him, her voice soft but harsh.

"It's the truth and when we find Maggie-." He said to her but she cut him off.

"Maggie doesn't give a shit about me, if she did, then maybe she would have asked why I was always in a mess when Zach was around or why wasn't I eating!" She screamed before sinking onto her knees, all the energy gone from her.

Daryl suddenly froze as he looked at Beth then, her long blonde hair had come undone from her French braid and her eyes were blank and her face was still as if she had turned to stone.

"He made out he was nice then when we started dating, he started acting strange and really taking control of me, I told him to give me room and…He hit me and said I should be grateful that he had picked me to be his girlfriend." She said looking at him blankly and Daryl silently took her hand.

"Ya don't have to tell me anymore." He told her but she shook her head.

"No, you need to understand that I'm not a child and how I wasn't after what he did to me that night." Beth said staring blankly at the wall as she toyed with her necklace.

She thought back to the night when Zach had completely destroyed her life and how he made her feel like a whore.

* * *

_Beth was doing the laundry and hanging it out to dry, when she saw Zach leaning against a wall._

"_Saw you talking to that redneck guy at dinner." He said looking at her with cold, grey eyes that made her uncomfortable, as she looked at him calmly._

"_His name is Daryl, not redneck and he's my friend." She told him calmly as she hung up one of her daddy's shirts._

"_That's not what it looked like to Karen and David, said you two were flirting with each other." He said walking over and grabbing her not too gently by her left arm._

"_Let me go, Zach." Beth said trying to make him let go of her arm when he sneered at her and shoved her up against the wall._

"_YOU BELONG TO ME BETH, NOT TO THAT TRASHY REDNECK!" He roared at her and pulled off her jeans as she kicked at him and he slapped her hard across the face, causing her to reel back in pain._

_He turned her around so she was on her front and tied her hands up so she couldn't fight back and pulled out his knife._

_This is for talking back to me!" He yelled and without any warning what so ever, he slammed into her as she screamed in pain._

_Searing pain soared through Beth as she tried to fight him off but all it did was encourage him to hurt her further._

_He pulled out his knife and pressed hard against her right wrist until blood started to appear and Beth sobbed harder._

_He shoved his cock into her harder as the table squeaked with the force and he roughly squeezed her breasts and moved her legs father open as he punched her in the stomach, making her gasp in pain._

"_Come on you filthy bitch, you fucking slut, come for me and show your precious daddy, what a dirty whore you are!" He snarled against her left ear._

"_No!" Beth sobbed defiantly, she wasn't a whore._

_Zach slapped her again and before Beth knew what was happening, he was thrusting so hard into her, Beth thought she could feel blood._

_She closed her eyes and squeezed them shut as she felt Zach come inside her, ripping her apart as he slumped on her for a minute before shoving her away and leaving her alone on the table._

_That was when a part of Beth died._

* * *

"Zach raped me that night and Maggie heard it, she had been looking for Glenn when she heard him raping me in the laundry room and she didn't do a thing, she didn't even ask me how I was or if I needed pills." Beth said with tears sliding down her face as Daryl looked at her.

"Were ya pregnant?" He asked her quietly.

"I was but I lost the baby, Karen saw taking a pregnancy test and she told Zach, he beat me that night and I bled." She said numbly.

Daryl felt his eyes burn with tears.

"I couldn't tell anyone, I didn't know who to tell, Maggie and me have never been close because she blames me for breaking up her mom and daddy." Beth said wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Shhh, it ain't yer fault sweetheart, yer daddy loved yer and so did Judith and Carol and all of those kids." He said thumbing away her tears.

Beth nodded and buried her face into his neck.

Daryl rocked her gently as he processed what she had said.

Zach had raped her and not only that, he had made her miscarry her unborn baby and Maggie had abandoned her by resenting her for being the resukt her parents marriage had broken up.

He wasn't gonna leave her.

Daryl kissed Beth's hair gently as she fell asleep and he held her close as he picked her up and gently got under the covers with her.

For once Beth didn't have nightmares of Zach attacking her, seeing Judith being eaten or her father being killed.

Instead she dreamed of Daryl.

Her guardian angel.

* * *

The next morning was spent packing up the supplies they had as they were going back to the prison to get the bike.

Beth gave Daryl a shy smile and he gently rubbed her shoulder but she could a smile on his face.

She blushed and put her backpack on as they walked back to the prison and talked quietly as they took out a few lone walkers.

The bike was still there as Daryl checked for fuel and they got on as they drove away from the ruins of their home.

Beth felt a sense of peace wash over her as they drove on the back roads and held onto Daryl's waist tightly.

She kept an eye out for any of their group.

They soon pulled up outside a huge southern style estate with a huge iron gate around the estate and from her view; she could see a black RV parked out in the front.

Daryl cautiously got off the bike and started to see if there was a way in, when he saw keys under the gate.

He reached and tried to get them.

"I'll try." Beth said softly and he nodded at her in understanding.

Daryl watched as she got on her knees, giving him a good view of her round ass as she grabbed the keys.

"Got them!" She said triumphantly.

Daryl smiled as he saw Beth place the key in the gate and it open with a click as they drove in and carried the few supplies, they had.

Beth took out two walkers with her knife and Daryl did the last one with his crossbow as they went inside cautiously.

That was when they heard a baby crying as a female voice said coldly.

"Who the fuck are you?!"

Beth turned around and felt rage run through her when she saw the dark haired young woman who had been in the Governor's army.

She was holding Judith.

Judith, sweet baby Judith.

"GIVE ME MY BABY BACK!" Beth screamed at Alisha in outrage and Daryl aimed his crossbow at her warningly.

"Hand over Judith." He said coldly.

Alisha sneered.

"No fucking way." She spat and Beth's face darkened into a terrible mask of protectiveness, hate and love.

"Then you can die!" She screamed and shot her as memories of her father being beheaded came into her mind.

Alisha screamed as she collapsed on to the floor and she walked over before taking Judith away and started to sob.

"You killed my daddy, you good as killed him!" She sobbed and Daryl dragged her away from Alisha as he pulled her into him.

"Beth calm fuckin' down." He told her and she sobbed.

"She killed our family!" She wailed.

Daryl rested his forehead against hers as Judith snuffled against them and took a few deep breaths before speaking.

"I know she did, sweetheart and she'll pay but not like this, this cold person ain't ya, Beth. Come back to me." He said gently and thumbed her tears away with the rough pads of his fingers.

"It hurts, so much." She sobbed into him.

"I know but ya got me and Judith, we're here and I ain't gonna let anythin' happen to ya two." He assured her and she nodded.

"I know you won't." She said softly and kissed his cheek tenderly.

Daryl stiffened in surprise but rubbed his cheek against hers, Beth sighed in content at the feeling.

Neither of them noticed Alisha grabbing her gun from her holster and aiming at it Beth until Daryl heard her taking the safety clip off.

He shoved himself in front of Beth and Judith as a blinding pain seared through him and the last thing he remembered was Beth screaming his name as Judith cried.

Darkness showed in his vision.

He felt someone pressing against his chest and snarled like a wounded wolf as he heard Beth telling him he was gonna be alright.

Daryl tenderly stroked her face.

"Beth….." He choked before passing out.

* * *

Beth watched in horror as Daryl passed out from his gunshot wound to the chest which had narrowly avoided his heart and any other major organs.

She fired her black pistol at Alisha, shooting her dead on in the head and watched dispassionately as she crumpled to the ground with a soft thud.

She quickly checked on Judith who had thankfully stopped crying as she picked her up and placed her in the living room before running to where Daryl was.

An idea then popped into her head.

Beth saw a black baby sling on table and strapped it across her chest before placing Judith into it as she hauled Daryl upstairs.

He was heavy but she managed, she knew the reason he was heavy, was due to the muscles he had built.

She carried him into the main bedroom and carefully took off his bloodied shirt before seeing the blood staining the sheets and hurried into the suite bathroom.

Thankfully, there were medical supplies and a lot of hot water, she ran it and grabbed a bucket before placing it under the shower and once it was full, and she went into the bedroom where Daryl was on the bed.

She pressed a sponge against his wound so she could clean it properly and make sure it didn't get infected.

Once done, she rubbed some anti septic cream on it and wrapped a bandage around the left side of his torso.

Beth heard him murmur in his sleep, saying her and Judith's names softly.

"We're here, Daryl, we're here." She said kissing his forehead tenderly as she wiped his bloody face with a flannel, she rinsed it in the bucket and saw the water turn red before bathing his cuts.

"Sleep, we'll be right here." Beth told him soothingly as Judith cooed softly and after watching Daryl fall asleep, she kicked off her boots and then took off Daryl's before tending to Judith.

The estate had clearly belonged to a wealthy family as there was a pink bassinet in the bedroom with plenty of diapers, baby food and other things.

She got Judith changed and after making sure everything was locked up, she got Judith into bed with her and Daryl.

Beth closed her yes as Beth soft snores along with Daryl's breathing gently lulled her to sleep like a lullaby.

Daryl gripped Beth tightly as he slept in peace for first time since the prison.

* * *

**I will be now uploading chapter 4 soon xx.**


	4. Stronger And Lost

Summary: Beth had lost everything. She didn't want to carry on anymore. But Daryl was determined to keep her alive. By any means necessary. Rated M. Takes place after Too Far Gone.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead but I do own the plot.

**Authors Note: Now chapter 3 and 4 have been edited please enjoy the story and I hope now everyone backs off.**

**Special Thanks To: Crowgirl13, Stojo, Verostar1221, theromanian and hopejames18 and Dead Dahlia. You guys rock xx. **

Guardian Angel

Chapter 4

* * *

The next morning, Beth was up before Daryl as she fed Judith a bottle of formula and the toddler cooed happily at her.

She had nearly lost Judith and Daryl.

She had killed another human being but she didn't feel any remorse or regret for what she had done to save Daryl and Judith.

Carol had been right about it was them or other unfriendly survivors.

A pang went through her as she thought of Carol and her kind, warm grey eyes; she had been like another mother figure to her.

She burped Judith who giggled and checked on Daryl, thanks to her father, Beth knew how to tend to injuries such as gunshot and knife wounds.

She gently smoothed his fringe away and kissed his forehead before placing Judith on his chest and her fluttered when Judith snuggled into him.

Her family.

Beth went into the en suite bathroom and started to run Daryl a nice hot bath, she made sure the water was hot as she heard Daryl talking to Judith.

"Hey there lili Ass Kicker." Daryl said tickling her stomach and she giggled at him happily and cooed.

Beth had never seen Daryl so relaxed in her life, not even at the prison.

He then saw her in the room looking shy.

"Hey there." Beth said looking at him as she saw how toned his chest was and not to mention how tanned it was.

"Hey there." Daryl said giving her a smile as she sat down next to him and they both watched Judith play with Daryl's jacket.

"We need to find the others." Daryl said sighing and Beth nodded quietly.

She considered Judith to be her own daughter.

She sighed as she looked around and felt Daryl silently take her right hand in his rough one as if he suddenly understood her silence and thoughts.

Beth gave him a sad smile before getting up and picking up Judith so Daryl could get dressed in peace.

* * *

Daryl watched Beth go downstairs with Beth so he could dress in peace and also have privacy to himself.

Instead, he felt worried about Beth's sudden mood swing when he had mentioned the others and bit his lip in thought.

Surely Beth wanted to see if Maggie was ok?

He sighed before going into the bathroom to get cleaned up and saw that Beth had run him a warm bath with a set of clean clothes.

He took off his shirt first, then his jeans, boxers and finally his boots and socks before getting into the hot bath with a sigh of content.

He sat in the water for a minute and closed his eyes as he started to wash himself and then washed his greasy hair, it needed a trim but he liked it.

He finished washing himself and pulled the plug before putting a white, fluffy towel around himself and dried himself quickly and then pulled on the clean clothes and underwear.

Daryl then grabbed his crossbow and vest before going downstairs where Beth was tending to Judith as she cooked breakfast which consisted of dried eggs and black coffee.

He sure as hell wasn't gonna complain about the food and soon the pair of them was eating as Judith played with a black stuffed teddy bear.

"So what are we doing today?" Beth asked him quietly as she drank the last of her coffee and checked on Judith who was playing with her new toy.

"Gonna go on a supply run and see if the others are around, need to write a list of what we need." He told her and she nodded.

"I'll write it now." She said to him and saw her look at his shoulder which was now healing up, since it had been only a graze.

"How's your shoulder?" She asked him softly checking on it and seeing if there were any signs of infection.

"Doin' fine, just a graze." He told her as he felt that strange sensation, whenever Beth was around, she made him feel strange.

She was becoming stronger since her suicide attempt.

He gave her a nod as he went to look around as Beth found a small note pad and wrote down the things they needed.

She wrote it quickly and handed the piece of paper to Daryl who nodded at her as he placed it in his shirt pocket.

"Ya gonna be alright, Beth?" He asked her as they headed outside to where the bike was and he got on it effortlessly and Beth couldn't help but admire the way he looked sitting on the Triumph with his ripped jeans, black work boots, grey shirt and black vest with the angel wings.

He looked sexy.

"I'm not a little girl Daryl, not anymore." Beth told him calmly and Daryl looked at her for a long moment and in those few minutes which seemed like forever, Beth felt like he was looking into her soul.

"Stay safe, keep yer knife on ya and look after Judith." He told her finally and she nodded as she let him out of the gate and he drove down the dusty, dirt country road as the sun blazed over them.

Beth watched for a while before heading inside with Judith and locked the door before deciding to have a look around their new home.

* * *

Daryl drove down the road as he found the local town and kept an eye out for any walkers around the place and found none.

He parked the bike and killed the engine before getting off the bike and had his crossbow slung over right shoulder as he headed intro the gun store first.

There were surprisingly still a few guns including assault rifles and a few sniper guns as he collected them and grabbed the ammo left over.

He then saw a food store across the street and walked across as he opened the door and saw that amazingly the shelves were stacked with tinned food, hygiene products along with baby stuff.

They were in luck.

Daryl got everyone he could and even found a black SUV that had a full gas tank and put his bike in the back in the back of the car when he felt someone press a gun against the back of his head.

"Who the fuck are you?" The voice snarled menacingly and Daryl recognised the voice immediately.

Rick.

"Rick, it's me, Daryl." Daryl told him calmly and Rick slowly pulled the gun away from him as he looked at his fellow friend.

"Daryl, thank god we found you, is Judith with you?!" He asked frantically and Daryl took in Rick's state, he was a mess.

"Judith's fine and so is Beth." He told him as Rick's face darkened.

"Are any of the Woodbury people with you?" Rick asked calmly.

"No, just me, Beth and Judith." Daryl told him and Rick nodded as they got into the car and drove back to the house silently.

The drive was tense as Daryl remembered Beth saying that it was Rick's fault for what had happened to Hershel.

He sighed heavily.

'_This ain't gonna end well.'_ Daryl thought grimly as they started to drive back to the estate silently.

Daryl hoped Beth was ok.

* * *

Beth had started to look in all of the rooms and decided to have a hot bath, she ran the taps and picked out some clothes from the one of the rooms that clearly belonged to a young woman her own age.

She wasn't weak anymore.

She was going to be strong from now on.

She nodded to herself as she picked out some clean underwear for herself and then clean socks before taking off her filthy clothes as she had Judith play near her on the floor so she could keep an eye on her.

She washed her face first and then washed herself with the floral rose soap that was on a small dish with painted flowers on it.

Once that was dine, she was now washing her thick blonde wavy locks and rinsed it before putting on the conditioner and combed her hair.

Beth remembered her mother combing her hair when she had been a little girl and smiled sadly at the memory.

She rinsed the conditioner off her hair and pulled out the plug before getting out of the bath and drying herself with a big fluffy white towel.

She picked up Judith and she giggled at her as they went into the bedroom and she dried herself before getting dressed and putting on her black cowboys.

Beth smiled at Judith who cooed at her as they went downstairs to wait for Daryl and sat in the living room when she heard a car pulling up outside the gate.

She got up and carefully put Judith in the baby sling before going outside, armed with her knife as she saw a black SUV waiting outside the gate.

"It's me, Beth!" Daryl called out and she smiled at him before opening the gate and let them drive in before seeing that Daryl wasn't alone.

Rick and Carl were with him and so was Michonne.

She hugged Daryl tightly as Judith cooed.

"Judith, my baby girl!" Rick called out joy in his voice as he pulled Judith from her and Beth blinked when Carl smiled at her in thanks.

"Did you know Glenn and Maggie are still missing?" He asked her quietly.

Beth blinked in shock as something inside her cracked.

"What?" She choked as Rick came over.

"Tyresse was bitten when we met up with him and Maggie and Glenn, none of us knew and…" Rick trailed off as Beth fell to her knees in despair.

"NO, NO, YOU'RE LYING!" She screamed as she charged at him and started to hit him hard into the chest.

Daryl pulled Beth away from Rick who stared in shock as Daryl held Beth tightly to him as she mourned for Maggie.

"I got ya sweetheart, I got ya." Daryl whispered against her neck as she sobbed.

"I'm alone, Daryl."

"No, ya ain't alone Beth, ya got me and Judy." He told her as he pulled her into him tightly and Beth sobbed against him as they saw two black SUVS speeding towards them.

"THAT'S THE PEOPLE WHO TOOK RANDALL AWAY, NATE!" A dark blonde haired man called out and they all froze as Daryl helped Beth up and he aimed his crossbow at the man.

"What the fuck do ya want?" Daryl growled at the man warningly as he glared at Nate who smirked at him.

"I have three people from your group."

* * *

**Clifhanger much? X**


	5. Strange Fate

Summary: Beth had lost everything. She didn't want to carry on anymore. But Daryl was determined to keep her alive. By any means necessary. Rated M for sexual scenes, violence and upsetting scenes. Takes place after Too Far Gone.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead but I do own the plot.

**Authors Note at the bottom of the chapter.**

**Special Thanks To: Crowgirl13, Stojo, Verostar1221, Dead Dahlia, wytchbiker and frankielouwho, SandyBell74 and NormanReedusLover. You girls Rock xx.**

Guardian Angel

Chapter 5

* * *

All of them froze at hearing Nate mention they had three of their group members and Rick glared at him with dark eyes.

"Where are they?" He demanded as Daryl aimed his crossbow at Nate when a strong looking man got out of the car and grabbed Beth tightly by the throat.

"If you don't come with us, I'll fucking kill this little doll within minutes." Travis threatened and Daryl froze as his eyes met Travis's.

"Give me the baby and we'll leave." Rick said calmly ignoring Beth's hurt look and Daryl's murderous expression along with Carl.

"No chance, ya'll coming with us." Nate said with a smirk and shot him in the shoulder before knocking him and Carl out.

He then looked at Daryl.

"What about you, redneck?"

Daryl flashed a look to Beth, she stared at him solidly, and he nodded then laid his crossbow on the floor carefully.

"Let her go, and we will come quietly." he stated, still looking at the floor where he placed his crossbow. "What damage is she gonna do with a baby man?"

Nate let go of Beth's throat and stepped towards Daryl, that's when all hell broke loose, pulled her gun from underneath Judith, it had been tucked in her waist band the whole time, she aimed and pulled the trigger shooting the dusty blonde guy between the eyes, she turned swiftly and shouted.

"Who the hell do you think you are hitting dick? Put my boyfriend down." Beth put the gun to the back of Nate's head and he froze, Daryl stood up, wiping a thin line of blood from his bottom lip and smiled.

"Getting' good at that" He said to her "Now I believe we asked and he turned to look at Nate. "We asked ya a question." Daryl stated, as he picked up his cross bow "A' see the difference between 'er and me, she will kill you out right, and me I like to watch the pain, in a man's eyes to get what I want." Daryl pulled his knife out for emphasis.

"Make me ask ya again." He said, Daryl plunged the knife into Nate's leg, Nate hit the floor, screaming in pain.

"I wasn't' gonna hurt her." Daryl punched him hard in the face, and then dragged him into the house.

Rick and Carl watched shocked before following after them as Carl shut the gate again and they saw that Daryl was dragging Nate down to the basement.

"What are you doing, Daryl?" Rick asked him wearily and Daryl glared at him darkly.

"Gonna question him and ask where his fuckin' gang is." He snapped at him and shut the door in front of him as he watched shocked.

Daryl and Beth had changed.

* * *

Beth turned to check Rick and Carl, both were breathing fine but Rick was losing blood from the shoulder wound he had received, Beth ran into the house placing Judith on the floor with pillows around her, she went back out the house taking hold of both of Ricks hands she began pulling him into the living room, returning outside feeling exhausted but knowing she had to get Carl indoors too, she led them both down slouching to the floor to catching her breath, lists of what she would need running through her head, he was going to leave, take Judy away again! Stop it Beth stop this silliness, Rick was protecting his children and that's exactly how it should be, She ran from the room looking for the first aid kit to repair her friend.

"I ain't gonna ask ya again!" Daryl screamed at the half conscious man tied to a dinning room chair, he hit him again.

"You kill me, you will never find them." Daryl started to laugh then darkly.

"Kill ya fucker, I ain' gonna kill ya but ya gonna wish I did." Daryl struck him again, then pulled back he sealed the room making it as dark as possible, he left the room, he knew that sensory deprivation could make people talk Merle had told him all about it, he had said it was a tack tick used in the army.

He left the room closing the door behind him, then lent against he had sworn after the farm never to do this again, but if it meant Beth had her family back, he had his family back he would be a man and do it, she could bring him back from the edge again, she wouldn't let him lose his humanity.

* * *

Two days later Beth was sat at the kitchen table watching everyone eat; she knew it was time to say something.

"Daryl?" He looked up at her but continued to shovel his food in, but cocked an eyebrow to continue. "I think it's time." He sat back in his chair licking his fingers clean, he nodded at her and stood up without saying a word.

"Where's he going?" Carl asked curiously.

"To check on our visitor." Rick said, Judith started to make a fuss from the blanket they had set up in the living room "I will go" Rick said as he got up and walked into the living room, they watched him leave as Beth started to clear the table washing the dishes, Carl came up behind her and took the cloth to start drying up.

"How are you Beth?" he asked quietly.

"Me, Carl to be honest, I have no idea. I am happy I have Daryl, you and Rick back; Judith is here with us by God's grace. Daddy is gone now, we don't know who Nate is holding and I am surprised no one has come looking for him yet, it makes me worry about the people he is holding will they be killed if we don't hand him back?" she took a deep breath, thinking was giving her a headache.

"I miss them too." he said simply, she turned to look at her young friend, Carl's eyes had grown old in the time she had known him, but she supposed that's what came when you had to kill one of your parents, at least she had been spared that. She went back to the sink full of soapy water not being able to resist the urge that came from nowhere Beth grabbed a handful of bubbles and blew them into Carl's face, war then ensued for a few minutes Beth and Carl ending up on the kitchen floor laughing so hard tears ran down their faces, when she looked up Rick was stood in the door way staring at them both with a large smile on his face.

"Been a long time since I have seen anyone have that much fun." he stated, and then a sad look came across his face "I'm sorry Beth." She stopped laughing and stared at him solemnly.

"If your so sorry Rick, why didn't you just shoot him, all those missed opportunities." she shook her head at him.

"I was trying to keep everyone alive." he defended weakly; Carl stood up and took his sister into the other room, knowing this conversation was going to happen sooner or later.

"Well you did really well at that, didn't you? My father is dead Rick, they cut his head off, all those Woodbury people on the bus, they are more than likely dead too." She took a deep breath, fighting the tears trying to force themselves out. "Rick, you have to realise that this whole thing should have been dissolved when you first went with Daryl and my father to meet him you should have put a bullet through his ugly face then, everything that happened, ever death that has taken place since then, it was your fault, you were our leader and you couldn't make the decision that Merle sacrificed himself to try and do, and hey guess what, Daryl lost his brother too." She dried her hands on the towel preparing to leave the kitchen.

"Carl and Judith need you but I think it's time you let other's make all the decisions from now on because if we find our family, I for one will never listen to you again." Beth walked out without another word leaving Rick watching her, his mouth agape.

"Hey don't you dare walk away from me like that!" He yelled and Beth glared at him as she stopped at where she was goin down to the basement to see Daryl.

"Oh, have I touched a nerve, sheriff Grimes?" Beth spat at him, her normally kind face twisted into one of such anger and hate that it made Rick back up.

"You need to show me respect." He said coldly.

"The only people I show respect to are Carl, my father, Merle and Daryl, not you Rick, you lost my respect the minute you started to speak to the Governor." She said coldly and walked into the basement, leaving Rick alone as he thought of how strong Beth had become.

This was strange.

* * *

Daryl had been tying up Nate and had gagged him so they wouldn't have to listen to him talking as he showed them where the rest of their group was.

That had been when he had heard Rick and Beth arguing and Beth blaming Rick for the death of her father, Merle and countless others.

Daryl agreed with Beth, Rick had made poor choices.

One of which had costed Hershel and Merle's lives.

Thinking of Merle pained him.

He knew Beth was behind him before he even heard her; it was just the way he sensed things and looked up when he saw walking towards him.

"When we find the others, I want to go back to my home." She told him calmly.

Daryl stared at her in confusion before it hit him.

She wanted to go back to the farm, the place that had been her childhood home before the walkers had overrun the place.

"I want you to come with me." She added quietly, meeting his eyes.

Daryl bit his lip for a minute before nodding at her.

She surprised him by kissing him hard on the mouth in a hungry, passion filled kiss that drove him wild and before he knew what was happening, he had pinned her against the wall so she could feel his hardness that was bulging through his jeans.

Beth let out a soft moan that made him throb and he kissed her again as she sucked at his bottom lip seductively, he growled at her as he slid his rough but gentle hands under her shirt.

Daryl grunted as slid a hand up her shirt and felt her soft, perky breasts through her black satin bra and she bucked against him teasingly, gasping slightly.

"Please god, Daryl." She said gasping, she wanted him so much.

They then heard Nate groaning and they both detangled themselves from each other, they were not about to have sex with Nate.

Daryl looked at Beth who had placed her black pistol in the black leather holster on her right hip along with her knife.

"Ready to kick some ass?" He asked her as they dragged Nate upstairs into the hallway as they went outside and shoved him into the trunk of the car.

"Am I ever?" Beth asked with a seductive smile as they got into the truck and waved at Carl and Judith as they drove away from the estate and onto the back road as they headed back down to the prison where Nate had told Daryl where his gang was keeping three of their people.

"Daryl?" Beth spoke from beside him.

"Hmm." he answered obviously in thought.

"I don't think the front entrance is such a hot idea." Daryl looked over to her then back to the road, Beth took that as a sign to continue "Well we know the prison better than anyone; I mean hell we lived there for over a year. So I was thinking why not the tombs to hide our way in go in through the broken down part at the back, use, then we could use these to get into the cell block late at night." Beth pulled out a set of keys from her jacket pocket.

"They're mine!" Rick said and Beth rolled her eyes.

"Fell out of your pocket when you got shot running for your life." She said casually, Rick fell silent in the back again.

"Yer one clever one." Daryl smiled with this plan of action they had surprise on their side, maybe they could get to some of the guns and ammo that had been stashed in the tombs well if they hadn't been found.

* * *

They drove on in silence Daryl rethinking his plan, originally he was going to go in guns blazing and put Nate up front but now, now he had stealth on his side.

They pulled up into a side road just off from prison. "We go on foot from here, remember keep it quiet no words. And Rick for Christ's sake don't let that bastard give a signal."

Rick nodded to Daryl and they all went into the woods, it was a 45 minute walk to get to the back of the prison, they entered Daryl had his cross bow in front of him, Rick brought Nate in the middle and Beth following on behind her gun in one hand and knife drawn in the other.

Daryl had decided to find a place to hold up until it got dark, problem was he knew there would be walkers and the prison is large where would you hide prisoners in a prison, they needed to find somewhere to hold up somewhere secure.

Daryl pulled open the a door to his left a small office that looked untouched, he waved everyone in, closing the door behind them. "I got me an idea but its pretty risky." he said looking from Rick to Beth and back again. "If it was up to me and I had prisoners I would put them in death row, I reckon I should go when it gets dark find them get them down here, you and Rick go up top distract them with Nate." He finished, everyone stayed quite for a minute looking at him.

"Good plan but mine is better." Beth said in her cockiest manner.

"Oh pray do continue, Beth warrior princess." Daryl smirked at her.

"Will do, right then, well I am small, unnoticeable and well quicker than you two oldies." she smiled at them and they both chuckled at her humour. "I will go you two go play armies, meet you back at the car." she said calmly.

"Not sure I like that plan." Daryl said looking at her, but Rick nodded in agreement with Beth.

"No, Daryl she's right, she won't be noticed you, me well they know us." He gave an apologetic shrug to them both.

"No one is going to fall for that shit; my second is more intelligent than that." Nate choked out through a bloody mouth, courtesy of Daryl.

"Oh for fuck sake shut the fuck up." Beth smacked him on the back of the head with the butt of her gun. "He was getting right on my tits." She said smirking and all three of them giggled.

"Right let's get goin'." Daryl said giving Beth a smirk and she smiled at him as they separated and watched Beth sneak into the back of the prison as she pulled out her sniper rifle; she wasn't a bad shot thanks to Daryl teaching her.

"Try not to fuck anythin' up this time, Rick." Daryl told him coldly and he looked shocked before nodding and pulled out his own rifle as they got into position.

* * *

Beth crept silently through cell block A when she saw bodies in the cells, most of them were already dead but some had turned into walkers, she grimaced and ignored them growling as she looked through the cells and saw Tyresse.

"Tyresse?" She called out quietly and the large man looked up, he looked battered with his face bruised and his left eye swollen shut.

"Beth, is that you?" He asked shocked.

"It's me; Daryl and Rick are on the roof of the prison keeping watch." She told him as she opened the cell door quietly and he limped out rather painfully.

"Did you see Sasha?" He asked hopefully and Beth's face turned sad.

"I'm sorry, Tyresse." She told him quietly and he wordlessly nodded before they continued to walk along and that was when Beth saw a familiar face staring at her.

It was Glenn.

"Glenn, where's Maggie?" She asked walking towards him but he held up his hand as he got up weakly and Tyresse helped him up.

"Those guys took her away into cell block C." He told her weakly with tears in his eyes as she looked around and heard screaming from the hallway.

"PLEASE NO MORE, PLEASE!" Maggie screamed and Beth looked at them quickly.

"Go outside to the back and wait in the car, Rick and Daryl are there." She told them and they both nodded before hurrying off as Beth hurried to where the screams were coming from and was horrified by what she saw.

Maggie was bent over one of the tables, her hands bound together and outstretched in front of her grabbing at the air. The second man was behind her, khaki jeans around his ankles, pounding inside her roughly, slamming himself against her… into her… so hard the table slid forward each time.

Beth didn't even hesitate, she was pissed off to high hell, and she shot her rifle at the man raping her sister.

The man fell with a loud thud, blood spraying the wall behind him as the other man grabbed for a pistol that was on the chair beside him before an arrow hit him in the throat.

Beth ran towards Maggie and helped her up as Tyresse charged towards the man who had killed his sister when one of the men shot him twice in the back.

"NO!" She cried but couldn't mourn as walkers started to swarm in and she saw Daryl hurrying towards her as they helped Maggie walk out of the overrun prison.

Daryl hurried over to help her as they ran to the car and got in as Rick started to drive back with Glen cradling Maggie to him tightly.

"Maggie talk to me." He pleaded and Maggie looked at him blankly.

"Maggie?"

No response.

Daryl watched the scene with quiet but alarmed eyes, Maggie it looked like had gone into a state of shock and he hoped she would snap out of it.

They finally reached the estate as Beth got out and opened the gate so they could go in and they all drove inside the estate silently.

The atmosphere should have been happy, given they had found each other but everyone knew that it was the exact opposite of that.

Daryl sighed as both he and Beth headed inside the house as Glenn hurried Maggie upstairs, telling Beth that he would care for her sister.

No thanks, for saving our lives.

"Yer welcome." Daryl said sarcastically and Beth felt her lips curve into a smile as they went into the room they shared together.

"Wait here…While I surprise you." Beth said as she pushed Daryl onto the bed gently with a seductive smile as Daryl felt himself harden as it occurred to him that Beth was no longer a girl.

She was woman who wanted him.

Daryl knew he was already falling for her.

Beth was strong, kind, brave, and gentle and in the time they had been on their own together before meeting Rick and Carl, she treated him like she knew him inside out.

She had saved his life.

His guardian angel.

Daryl could only hope that when they finally did sleep together, the others would be accepting of their strange relationship.

Fate was strange as his grandfather said.

* * *

**Please review and let me know your thoughts xxx**

**DarylDixon'sLover xxx**


	6. In The Arms Of An Angel

Summary: Beth had lost everything. She didn't want to carry on anymore. But Daryl was determined to keep her alive. By any means necessary. Rated M for sexual scenes, violence and upsetting scenes. Takes place after Too Far Gone.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead but I do own the plot.

**Authors Note at the bottom of the chapter.**

**Special Thanks To: Crowgirl13, Stojo, Verostar1221, Dead Dahlia, wytchbiker and frankielouwho, SandyBell74 and NormanReedusLover. You girls rock xx.**

Guardian Angel

Chapter 6

* * *

Beth had tried to find the sexiest thing you could wear when you were about to have sex with Daryl Dixon and settled on a black nightgown with lace flowers on the front of the nightgown.

She hadn't had sex with anyone since Zach had raped her, and that had been eight months ago, she shuddered at the memory.

She looked at herself in the mirror, she looked different, her long blonde hair was longer and wilder, her blue eyes had hardness to them due to the horrors she had seen since the world had gone to hell.

She thought of Maggie who was now in her place and felt sadness run through her, Maggie had hardly spoken since they had gotten inside and had gone mute.

Beth hoped she would snap out of it.

She ran her hands through her curls and smiled in the mirror before going to lie on the bed as she thought of the dancing carer, she had dreamed of.

That was a broken dream now.

She just hoped Daryl wouldn't push her away when he found her on the bed, clad in nothing but a black nightgown and matching panties and bra.

Beth took a deep breath and waited

"Please don't let my demons ruin this." She prayed and although no one answered, she felt calmer.

She hoped Daryl enjoyed his surprise.

Daryl stood out side the door feeling as nervous as a school boy on his first day he knew tonight if Beth invited him to be with her, he wouldn't be able to stop himself. He knew it was wrong he was too old, too screwed up to give her what she really needed, what she deserved but if she picked him, he would stay by her side forever. He was a Dixon and when they devoted themselves to someone it was for life, what little life they could all expect to achieve.

Daryl put his hand to the door handle and pushed it open, walking in he said "Beth I think that..." his voice trailed off when he saw that beautiful angle lead on the bed in what he could call the sexiest outfit he had ever seen. He coughed and kicked at the floor his nerves screaming at him to run, run like the chicken he was, _"What's up Darliena, can't take yerself a woman?"_ Merle's voice taunted at him.

He closed the door then walked two steps further into the room her licked his bottom lip, to scared to speak in case the words got lost in his throat, this really was going to happen. "Beth we are only going to do this if you really want to." he finally spoke.

Beth rose from the bed and stalked towards him, she placed a hand lightly on his chest.

"Daryl you are all I have ever wanted." He pulled her to him slowly, running his hands up the satin of her nightgown, his fingers felt on fire with the feel of something so soft, she placed a palm on his cheek and he lent into it kissing her palm lightly she hissed at the feel and he froze.

"That was a good thing Daryl." She smiled, he wrapped his arms back around her and picked her up, carrying her like a child to the bed, then lying her down, he took his boots off then undid his pants, slipping them down he strong muscled legs, he smirked as Beth realised that he wore no underwear, he started undoing his buttons on his shirt, then faltered when it came to his scars, Beth pushed up on to his knees.

"There is nothing about you that I don't find attractive." She took over undoing his buttons and pulled his shirt of running her hands down his chest, taking in every contour of it, placing kisses on every piece of flesh she could find, she pulled him onto the bed and he led next to her while she kissed every inch of his body from head to toe, she pushed her mouth onto his member first licking then nibbling a little, this caused an animalistic growl out of the back of his throat, he couldn't believe what she was doing to him, she secured his member in her mouth and he moaned again at the pleasure he was receiving from her, he reached out to her.

"Princess, ya keep that up and this ain't gonna last five seconds." He pushed her by the shoulders lightly to lay down, he was loathed to take her nightgown from her she looked so pretty led against the cream of the sheets, so he reached under it and pulled her panties from her, he wanted to taste her he pushed the night gown up a little kissing the tops of her thighs, then slowly downwards, he could hear her moaning lightly with every kiss and when he peaked up she was smiling, her eyes lightly closed, this woman is an angel he thought to himself, then placed a light kiss on her slit.

Her eyes shot open with shock but he continued deepening the kisses until his tongue was buried deep inside her and she was squirming on the bed.

Daryl held her hips so she couldn't shake him off, then he turned his attention to her nub swishing the tip of his tongue against it over again, he could feel her quivering so he pushed a finger inside her, lost in the moment Beth took in a deep breath of air, he could feel that she was on the verge so he moved another finger inside her and moving it quickly, seconds later Beth came hard screaming Daryl's name.

While she recovered Daryl lifted the night gown from her, with trembling fingers, undoing her bra, then led her back down the whole time kissing her gently, he positioned himself between her legs, never taking his eyes from hers, he could see how scared she was, memories flashing behind the hunger in her eyes, he dipped his head to catch her lips with his. "We don' have too Beth."

"I want you, Daryl." She almost begged, Daryl was unsure, but he pushed into her slowly, he watched her wince and he felt guilty, he stopped pushing but she shook her head and wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him in deeper, Daryl did everything he could to control himself so he did not loose sight of his aim in not hurting her, he kept eye contact with her while he made love to Beth, he watched the tears well in her eyes, and spill over down her face, he kissed them away, he knew she was fighting her demons, her memories and he understood this was a battle she would fight with him only.

He bent and kissed her repeatedly then she bit his lip, Daryl could feel his orgasm building up, he knew it would strike soon, but he wanted Beth to come again so he reached in between them and rubbed her nub lightly with his thumb she started to raise her hips to meet his thrusts, both of them lost in that moment.

Beth screamed Daryl's name as she came again, that was enough to push him over the edge and he withdrew from her, his release coming out over her stomach. Daryl stayed where he was for a long time looking at Beth, then collapsed to the side of her, she curled into his side, he could feel the tears on her face and he looked down at her wiping them away with his thumb, he waited for her to say something anything to put him out of his misery.

"Daryl?"

He swallowed hard.

"Yeah?" His voice cracked a bit with emotion.

"Can we do that again?" she smiled up at him.

"Every night Beth." he kissed her on top of the head.

Beth smiled for the first time, a beautiful smile that lit up her whole face and he smiled down at her before pulling her into him and holding her tightly.

He was falling for her.

* * *

The next morning everyone was up early so they could do chores and Maggie noticed that Daryl and Beth were always together with Judith.

She hadn't said anything since they had rescued her from the prison and from Nate's group, she felt numb and cold.

They had raped her ever since they had caught her; they had wanted to try her out which meant basically fucking her on a table or on the floor.

She felt alone.

Beth had tried to talk to her but she pushed her away, Beth didn't understand what she had gone through.

She was just a child in her eyes.

Maggie swallowed as she picked up her knife and started to cut deep into her right arm and slashed it as blood started to dribble down.

She welcomed the pain, it awakened her.

She needed an escape.

Maggie sighed in relief as she went to cook breakfast.

Beth turned to Daryl, "I'm worried about her" she said to him quietly as Maggie smiled at everyone, dishing up the breakfast she had prepared that day.

"She's doing ok. Give her some time Beth, from what ya said she went through, it may taker her awhile to wanna open up if she ever does, some people don' like to talk about their shit." Beth knew he was talking about his issues, and troubles talking about things.

"Ok, alright. So Me, you and Glenn going to do the run to that hardware store in the next town today?" She asked him changing the subject but watching he sister closely, Maggie turned to Glenn giving him a light peck on the cheek. Perhaps it was all in her imagination, perhaps she was dealing with it by herself, what with everything else they had dealt with over the last two years, and she had become stronger.

"Yeah, but Rick, Tyreese and Carl are going to go in the opposite direction, look for supplies and see if they can trace anyone else."

"Ok, well suppose we best get going; want some help with the dishes Mags?" She raised her voice so that Maggie would hear her but Maggie shook her head no.

"Got you two a take out bag though, made some flapjack type biscuits with the honey that Carl and Tyreese found, there's one or two other bits should keep ya going for the rest of the day, oh put some water bottles in there too." She smiled at Beth, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Thanks Maggie." she cuddled into her sister swiftly, then went to find her rucksack and weapons.

"Keep the home fires burning" Rick said to Maggie as he got into the SUV that had been Nate's and pulled away. She smiled and waved at him.

"I love you." Glenn lent in and kissed her on the lips, Maggie pulled away after a couple of seconds.

"Ditto." She said. "Be safe ya'll." Maggie went back into the house locking the door behind her, she could hear Judith being fussy but she really didn't care, what's the worse that's going to happen, oh my a walker might get in, well that would be a shame wouldn't it. She went straight to the kitchen pulling out a large bottle she had hidden behind the cleaning stuff under the sink.

Maggie took the lid off and took a large gulp, the clear liquid burning the back of her throat as it went down, she sighed with relief, perhaps she should shove some food together now, then she could get waisted and loose the day before her 'hero's' came home.

She threw cans into a pan, adding in the squirrel Daryl had caught yesterday, then left it on top of the stove ready to go on the fire later. Judith went up in volume so Maggie shut the living room door not want to listen to the brat, why did it have to make a noise? She swallowed more of the vodka she had found in her and Glenn's room, soon she could forget, she would forget what they did to her, attacking her treating her like an animal.

Never letting her sleep, never giving her a break, always someone there to take over from the next, she slammed the bottle down on the table, stood walking to the kitchen, she took out the large carving knife she had found there, then getting some bandages, she went back, pulling her jeans down so they were to her knees.

Maggie, made several tiny slices into her inner thigh, feeling the pain helped dissolve the memories, it seemed every time she released the blood a little of what they did came out of her. She wrapped the bandage around her leg pulling her trousers back into place and picking the vodka up, now time for oblivion.

Beth, Daryl and Glenn were the first to return, as Beth got out of the car to let them into the estate she could see Maggie stand on the door step, Judith in her arms, both smiling and waving, Beth waved back with a return smile, she saw Maggie turn to Judith and say something but she was too far away to hear her words.

"Don't tell our little secrets will you, Judith?" She looked at the little girl on her hip, sucking on a peppermint she had found in the sideboard in the cupboard.

* * *

Beth cooked lunch which consisted of tinned tomato soup and some crackers; everyone was happily eating the food and talking.

Daryl was sitting beside her as they served it up and she placed the soup into bowls as they all tucked into the food happily.

Beth smiled as she rocked Judith lovingly in her arms, Judith was getting so big and she was starting to have thick dark brown curls.

She looked exactly like Lori.

She stroked Judith's cheek tenderly as she took her upstairs to bed and kissed her forehead as she changed her diaper and placed it in a black bin bag.

She sung her an Irish lullaby that her momma had sung to her when she had been young just like Judith.

"_Fhuair mi lorg na lach air an lòn  
Na lach air an lòn, na lach air an lòn  
Fhuair mi lorg na lach air an lòn  
Cha d'fhuair mi lorg mo chubhrachain."_

_"Fhuair mi lorg an laoigh bhric dheirg..._  
_Fhuair mi lorg and eich's a phairc..._  
_Fhuair mi lorg na bà's a pholl..._  
_Fhuair mi lorg na caorach geala..._  
_Fhuair mi lorg a cheo's a bheinn..."_

"Where'd ya learn that?" Daryl asked mesmerized by how easily Judith had settled.

"Momma sang it to me, and then... I sang it to Judith," she said softly.

"She's lucky to have someone like ya around then," Daryl leaned down to rub Judy's stomach softly.

Beth watched his good nature with the child. "She's lucky she has you too."

"Lookin' after my baby sister paid off." He said with a small smile.

"You had a little sister?" Beth asked curious and saw a look of sadness wash over Daryl's face as he led her to the bed and pulled her into his strong, warm arms as he looked lost in memories.

"Merle and me had a little sister called Marlena, she looked like our momma, and she had her thick black curls and piercing blue eyes." He said quietly and sighed.

"Then she got ill."

"What happened?" She asked stroking his right cheek tenderly as her smoky blue eyes met his piercing blue eyes.

"Marlena caught a virus, it was from the damp shithole we lived in and momma saved up all the money she could and it was so bad we rushed her to the hospital one night. She was out of it and was feverish." Daryl said his voice thick with emotion.

"You don't have to tell me, Daryl, if it's too painful." Beth said gently and Daryl shook his head.

"Marlena died from all the fluid in her lungs, she had caught something from the mould growing in the house." He said pained and paused.

"Merle was eleven, I was six years old and…Marlena was only four years old and she died in hospital cause my old man didn't bother callin' the health people round." He said bitterly.

"I'm so sorry." Beth said holding him tightly.

"Don't be, weren't yer fault." Daryl said leaning down to kiss her before holding her tightly against him so she could listen to his steady heartbeat.

Beth smiled and held his hand as she fell asleep smiling.

Daryl felt at peace.

He smiled and held his woman tightly.


	7. Devil In The Details

Summary: Beth had lost everything. She didn't want to carry on anymore. But Daryl was determined to keep her alive. By any means necessary. Rated M for sexual scenes, violence and upsetting scenes. Takes place after Too Far Gone.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead but I do own the plot.

**Special Thanks To: Crowgirl13, Stojo, Verostar1221, Dead Dahlia, wytchbiker and frankielouwho, SandyBell74 and NormanReedusLover, StillNotGinger2. **

**You girls rock xx.**

**Special thanks to wytchbiker who has been helping me with these chapters and giving me words of encouragement. Xxx**

Guardian Angel

Chapter 7

* * *

Maggie had gone on a lone run, she needed to get away from the house it was driving her crazy, Glenn constantly asking her if she was ok.

She was not ok.

Fucking idiot.

She reached the liquor store as she took out two walkers, nothing she couldn't handle as she looked around and grabbed the bottles of vodka, whisky and Southern Comfort.

She heard a gun cock, "What the fuck you doing here?" Maggie froze, took a deep breath and turned.

"Carol?" she began to sob, Carol had been everyone's mother. "Oh my God Carol!" Maggie threw herself at the woman, Carol's arms wrapping around her.

"I never thought we would see you again, I ..." She just crumpled into Carol's arms.

"Maggie? What are you doing here? Why aren't you at the prison?" Maggie just carried on crying.

"Maggie sweetheart speak to me." Maggie pulled away from her, took a deep breath and continued to tell her what had happened since she left.

"...Ya see and now I have Beth and Daryl back but they are kinda weird, I think they are a couple" she said absently, Maggie and Carol were sat on the floor sharing a bottle of JD.

"You mean Daryl is sleeping with your sister?" she asked anger lacing her voice.

"Well I don't have any proof but I would say yes if my life depended on it." Maggie was starting to feel numb. "I have to go, Carol, come with me, everyone would be so happy to see you. Judith is there." Carol raised an eyebrow at her.

"But you're here Maggie."

"Yeah I know but I only popped out for a minute, what harm is that going to do? Ain' like she ain locked in walkers ain' come no where near that place, think it's coz we are all dead on the inside they can sense it. Well all but them two going at it like rabbits when ever they get the chance." Maggie took another long swig from the bottle.

"Hey are they going on a run tomorrow?" Carol asked her quickly.

"Yeah why, you wanna see Judy?" Maggie was waving the bottle in front of her.

"I would love to see her, perhaps we can walk back together now, and then tomorrow I will wait for them to leave then come for a visit, hey I will bring the booze." she smiled sweetly.

"What a wonderful plan, should I tell them your coming?" Maggie cocked her head to the side

"No honey our secret, no one needs to know do they, Rick would send me away again."

"Ok Carol, I have missed you so much."

"Come on baby girl, lets get you back, but remember it is our secret, no one should know I am here."

Maggie was happy to find Carol, it was the first time since Nate, and she could honestly say she was happy.

Carol left her at the back gate, smiling to herself, so not only did he not come looking for her, but now he was sleeping with a girl, revenge would be sweet especially performed through Beth's older sister.

* * *

The next morning the women went outside to hang up the laundry when Maggie sneaked to the back door and opened it so Carol could come in.

They hugged tightly before Maggie showed her Judith who cooed at her happily before they went up to Maggie's room.

Carol looked around the room in shock, there were vodka bottles everywhere and there were also a pack of cigarettes.

"What happened to you, Maggie?" She asked concerned as she picked up the empty bottles and Maggie laughed a bitter laugh.

"Me and Glenn ran into Randall's group, they gang raped me for two days straight until I knew I was their pet and they were my masters." Maggie said numbly.

Carol looked horrified.

"My god, Maggie." She whispered horrified and pained.

Maggie started sobbing.

"They all need to die and so does Glenn for letting it happen!"

* * *

That night Daryl and Beth were in the far end kitchen, whilst everyone had been on a run Beth and Daryl had chosen to go hunting, they were lucky enough to kill a buck, after speaking with everyone else they had chosen the kitchen furthest away from the living quarters, after all preparing animals and hanging them tended to stink.

"You stink." Beth said when Daryl came towards her, covered in not only walker blood but now deer blood too, she wrinkled her nose at him, her gave her a sly smile then started to walk towards her his bloody hands held out to her. "Daryl!" She said backing up. "Don't you dare?" He made a grab for her but she darted under his arm then to the other side of the counter, he turned eyeing his pray Beth trying to decide how she was going to get away, she took a step to the left and he leapt the counter coming down next to her, he grabbed her and she squealed trying to pull away from him so he turned her in his arms, placing his hands over her breasts leaving bloody hand prints on her white t-shirt.

"You know what this means, it means war!" She shouted wiping her hands over his and slapping them onto his face, after several minutes of what she could only describe as disgusting fun they both stared at each other, both of them with blood stained faces and clothes, giggling Beth strolled over to him while pulling her t-shirt off.

"Can't go wearing this through the house, got the tell signs of your man handling on it," Daryl watched her breasts bounce as she moved around the kitchen and he felt himself hardening in his jeans, making a quick decision he marched over to her, she had her back to him and he pushed up against he backside, undoing her buttons on her jeans quickly pulling them down, followed by her panties.

"Someone might come in." she hissed as his hand folded over her damp lady parts, he pushed a finger into her not wanting to take his time, he wanted her now he felt her growing wetter as he pumped his finger into her rubbing the palm of his hand against her clit. "Daryl, oh my god." Encouraged he pushed two fingers into her guiding her to the kitchen island he had jumped over earlier, pushing her shoulder's down so her top half was pressed against it, he used his free hand to release himself, he lent over her whispering in her ear.

"Here I come ready or not." And he slammed into her deeply.

"Fuck!" She screamed, he didn't relinquish his pace, or wait for her to adjust to his large size, he just fucked her hard, with every movement she screamed louder, he was glad they were to far away for anyone to hear, grabbing a handful of hair, he pulled her head up so he could bit the side of her neck, making her groan.

"Yes Daryl harder, fuck me, fuck me." And he did, he could feel she was close and so was he, after a few more thrusts he felt her go he held on for as long as he could then pulled out he shot his seed all over her perfect arse after a couple of minutes he stepped away from her.

"Sorry." He mumbled while he tucked himself away.

"For what?" Beth asked panting slightly, she turned to face him pulling her panties in place followed by her jeans buttoning them she walked towards his down turned face, starting to undo his shirt buttons, and he looked at her confused, while her nimble fingers undid the buttons one by one.

"Being rough." Daryl said not looking at her.

"Daryl never apologise for something that good." She beamed at him. "Now give me your shirt please, I can hardly walk past everyone like this." He shrugged his jacket off and slipped out of his shirt and handing it to her, then pulled his jacket over his naked chest, he pulled into a kiss, this one loving playful, this young woman made him feel alive.

"I love you." Beth said cupping his face in her small, gentle hands.

Daryl leaned down to kiss her.

She loved him.

Daryl nuzzled his stubbly right cheek against hers.

This woman was his angel.

He pulled her into him tightly and held her close before falling asleep, his left hand interlaced in her blonde wavy hair.

* * *

Maggie was up the next morning and started to carry out the plan, she and Carol had organised as she walked over to the iron fence and let in Carol and her group who all came in with weapons.

"Let's give Rick a nice hello." Carol said smirking as she took out her gun and walked into the house with her group and Maggie following.

Rick was in the living room with Judith when Carol stormed over and violently pistol whipped him across the face before two women tied him up.

Judith sniffled, looking scared but Carol picked her up lovingly as the rest of the group hurried in looking shocked at Carol being in the house.

"Where are Lizzie and Mika?" She asked looking around for her two adopted daughters when Rick swallowed.

"Carol I'm so sorry, they didn't make it." He said ashamed and Carol stared at him in shock as Daryl walked over with Beth.

Carol glared at Rick. "You've managed to kill two more of my babies, you managed to find a way to kill everything Rick!" She screamed at him, she turned to Daryl. "I told ya that night in the ruins, I told you Daryl. He's a menace; he got that little girl's Daddy killed." Carol pointed at Beth.

"Carol, I am nineteen now." Beth said calmly.

"And, so what you turn nineteen and you're an adult, no Beth, adulthood comes from experience, you are a sheltered little girl, Maggie agrees with me, she understands, this group fell apart a long time ago, Dale was right, you are broken, but what you gonna understand is this, my group is organised, we aren't going to let the children die, so Judith, Carl and Beth will be coming with us." Carol said calmly with a manic gleam in her eyes.

"Ya ain't takin' them Carol." Daryl spoke for the first time.

"I trusted you Daryl, you were my world, you were supposed to come for me, and I find ya what sleeping with a child?" Carol shook her head. "You're as bad as Merle, anything so long as you can shag it right, well anything but me."

"Carol, you're wrong, Beth is no little girl, she is more than that she is perfect." he looked at the hurt in the woman's eyes. "I have loved you all along Carol..."

"Oh tell it to someone who cares Daryl, Maggie is coming with us as well, you managed to allow her to be hurt mentally and physically I'm not letting this continue Rick." She didn't take her eyes off Daryl, considering him the most dangerous thing in this room. "Get the children, Beth will take Judith she loves her nothing will happen to the baby." Her people started to follow her orders when Glenn stepped forward.

"You aren't taking Maggie any where she is my life, my world." Carol laughed at him in disgust.

"You wanna tell him or should I" she asked Maggie, Maggie walked towards Glenn.

"You let it happen to me, you let them take me, you didn't fight for me Glenn you were more concerned with your own safety, they killed me on the inside, after everything, and you just let it happened. I HATE YOU!" She screamed and before anyone could do anything Maggie buried her knife into Glenn's chest.

No one noticed Beth shove Judith into Carl's arms.

"Run up stairs, into our room, lock the fucking doors, run don't stop." Carl took off like a whippet.

"Carol!" Beth shouted getting the woman's attention. "I don't intend on leaving here with you alive, your fucked up have been for along time just no one had the heart to tell you!"

"You think because you have taken the Redneck to bed, you are old enough to know shit now?" Carol asked as she put her hand on her hip, Beth walked up to Carol so she stood just inches away from the other woman's face.

"No, Carol, it has nothing to do with Daryl and myself, it is you, you're fucked and now you're dead." Beth shot Carol with the gun no one had seen her draw, as Carol hit the floor all hell broke loose, her group trying to get to her but Rick and Daryl stopped them.

* * *

"Get out and don' come back, or I swear you will all fucking die." Daryl warned them, the group ran. Beth had walked out of the room after firing the gun and killing another relation, another member of her family.

"Beth, Beth please!" Daryl called out as he ran after her.

"She had to die." Beth had slouched to the floor in one of the hallways "she was going to take everything, I...Daryl...I" he dropped to his knees in front of her taking her face in his hands.

"I love ya Beth Greene, I ain't ever said that to another livin' soul, ya are my everything she would not have left here with my family." He took her in his arms, realising there was nothing he wouldn't do for his angel.


End file.
